


Bloodshot

by sophthetroph



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Alternate Universe - Magic, Blood Magic, Canon-Typical Violence, Cussing, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Sorry, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Sassy Neil Josten, Sorcerers, unmedicated Andrew
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-08-27
Packaged: 2020-07-26 02:23:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20036341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sophthetroph/pseuds/sophthetroph
Summary: Pressing a boot to his stomach, Andrew leaned over Neil's prone body. Ice began curling up his chest. “Better luck next time, rabbit.”Or, a Magic!AU in which everything is the same, except instead of exy, there's sorcery.





	1. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neil is recruited to the Palmetto Academy.

Neil Josten held his cigarette up to his lips, pausing just a few millimeters away. He wasn’t after the nicotine; his addiction was to the smell, the acrid smoke that singed his nose and reminded him of his mother. As he breathed the smoke in, he closed his eyes and vivid images of the night flashed through his mind. A smoking husk of a car, smoldering softly on the beach. Still warm bones stuffed into his backpack. The ghost of a hand pulling at his hair before falling away. He wished he didn’t remember.

He looked up at the sky, watching the last fading tendrils of smoke vanish into the darkness. The door behind him creaked open and he stubbed out his cigarette as High Priest Hernandez stepped out onto the roof beside him.

“I didn’t see your parents at the ceremony tonight,” the High Priest said.

“They aren’t in town,” Neil replied, pulling his satchel tighter to his body.

“When are they supposed to be back?”

Neil didn’t respond, turning his gaze back out into the darkness of the parking lot below them. A streetlight flickered out in the distance.

Neil knew that the High Priest suspected that he had been breaking onto campus grounds to sleep at night. He had been careful to erase every trace that he had been there, but the statues around the school had a tendency to gossip. While Millport was a dying town, he was too paranoid to stay in one place for too long, tending to move from abandoned house to abandoned house in hopes of staying under the radar. It was often easier to just slip through the protection charms that guarded the school at night and sleep in the potions closet.

“I thought they would make an exception for tonight,” Hernandez commented.

Neil shrugged. “I’ll call them when I get home and let them know how it went. It's not like they missed much.”

“Maybe,” the High Priest murmured. “There’s someone here to see you.”

The words made his stomach drop; after years of praying for the Darkness to keep him hidden, the knowledge that someone was actively looking for him, Neil Josten, who existed only on paper and through the sheer will of his magic, terrified him more than words could convey.

Neil heaved his satchel over his shoulder and stood up, turning to run, hide, whatever would save him from the inevitable agony of being discovered after so many years on the run.

A hulking shadow stood in the doorway, ensconced in light from the stairwell behind him. The man was huge, all jagged muscle and swirling tribal tattoos. In his hand was a large scroll; on it, Neil knew, were his records, compete with his spell-casting proficiency. Thankfully, his sorcerer classification was blank.

He didn’t recognize the man or his constantly moving tattoos. He could barely make out flames flickering across his arms, signifying his talent in fire magic. Neil made a point to know the faces of everyone in town. This man was an outsider.

“I don’t know you,” Neil stated, shifting uneasily.

“He’s from an academy,” the High Priest said in what was meant to be a soothing tone. “He came here tonight to watch the ceremony and see you cast.”

“Bullshit,” Neil snapped. “No academy tries to recruit from Millport. It’s impossible to find on a map.”

“There’s something called a navigator,” the man said. “It guided us. Your High Priest sent us your records. That’s how we knew to navigate here.”

Neil’s head snapped towards Hernandez. “You’ve got to be joking,” he hissed.

The High Priest gave him a warning look, eyes flashing red. “I sent him your records because you’re far too talented to waste away in this deadbeat town. I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d run.”

Neil narrowed his eyes. His attention shifted back to the stranger when he spoke again.

“I know your parents are out of town,” the man said, glancing at Hernandez. “But I don’t have time to wait for them. Your record says you’re eighteen; you don’t need their permission to sign for me. I know it’s late in the year to be recruiting for the academy, but due to unforeseen events, we have an opening in our roster.”

Neil glanced at the scroll in his hand. His name stood out in bold, black letters. As much as Neil has enjoyed this life, it was only supposed to last through graduation. Just a few more weeks, and he would be onto a new name and a new life; his twenty third new identity in the past eight years. His third new identity since his mom was killed. Signing onto an academy meant attention he could not afford. Tournaments and battles, all aired on transnational television. His magic was distinctive. He could not afford to be found.

Neil had a million reasons to run. But his magic _ached_, roiled inside his body, desperate to be used, to be strengthened. His mother would kill him. He didn’t know if he could say no.

“Leave me alone,” Neil said.

“I need an answer tonight,” the man stated, standing firm. “Since Janie was institutionalized, the Council of Priests has been hounding me for a replacement.”

Neil froze, his blood running cold. “Foxes,” he whispered. “Palmetto Academy.”

Janie Smalls, a small-town witch who specialized in illusions, had a spiritual breakdown in the middle of a tournament. Her magic spiraled out of control, subjecting everyone around her to warped, demonic illusions. It took several sorcerers to subdue her, and she was immediately institutionalized in a center for magical rehabilitation. She wasn’t expected to recover.

The man, who Neil now recognized as David Wymack, Head Sorcerer of the Foxes, looked surprised. “I guess you heard about the tournament,” he said gruffly.

It was the final event of the year; the Spring Tournament. Only the best of the best could compete. Janie’s meltdown caused the tournament to be declared a draw, which had happened only a handful of times on record.

The Palmetto Academy Foxes were notorious for their instability. A circle of fucked-up mages with tales of tragic backstories and broken homes. They competed in each tournament every year, but due to the volatile nature of the magicians and their inability to work together, they always came in dead last. They were the laughingstock of the magic community in the southern territories.

That is, until Kevin Day joined the circle last year. His magical prowess helped the Foxes push a little farther forward in tournaments, but his attitude only clashed fervently with the other members of the circle.

Kevin Day was the reason Neil could not take Wymack up on his offer. It had been years since they last saw each other, as Neil’s demonspawn father chopped up a mortal before their eyes, not a knife in sight, laughing all the while. The Butcher, he’s called. He doesn’t need a blade; his magic does all the hacking for him. Neil still sometimes caught a phantom scent of blood and the crackling ozone of magic.

“I can’t sign for you,” Neil said.

“I’m sorry, what was that? Do you need a quill?”

“I can’t. You signed Kevin.”

“And now Kevin’s signing you–” Neil didn’t hear the end of Wymack’s sentence. He was busy sprinting towards the edge of the roof. The school building wasn’t too high. Neil’s hand slid into the hidden sheath under the sleeve of his robe, but before he could slice his finger along the blade of the knife, a solid wall of ice slammed into his stomach. Neil crashed onto the ground, air wheezing out of his lungs.

Stupid.

In his haste to get away, he hadn’t noticed the figure waiting in the darkness across the roof. Moonlight glinted off white blonde hair as the man stepped out from the shadows.

Minyard.

Neil glared up at the black-clad man as he fought to regain his breath.

“Shit, Minyard!” Wymack curses as he strides towards them. “You’re the reason we can’t have nice things.”

Andrew glanced at the sorcerer with a bored look on his face before looking back down at the boy on the ground. Pressing a boot to his stomach, Andrew leaned over his prone body. Ice began curling up his chest. “Better luck next time, rabbit.”

“Fuck you,” Neil snarled, shoving his foot off. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

The blonde leveled a blank look at him before stepping away.

Hernandez ambled over, an amused look passing over his face before it settled back into neutrality. “Alright, Neil?”

Neil pushed himself to his feet, ribs aching and feeling vaguely like he might throw up. “Get the fuck away from me. I’m leaving.”

Wymack stepped in front of him. “We aren’t done. Give us a minute?” he directed towards the High Priest. Hernandez looked amused again, but retreated to the stairwell.

Wymack glared at Andrew until he rolled his eyes and meandered over to the other side of the roof, where he lit a cigarette.

“I already told you I wouldn’t sign for your academy,” Neil said.

“You didn’t let me finish. I had to pay to navigate three people out here. The least you could do is listen to my offer.”  
Neil gaped at him. Three people? No. No, no, no – “You didn’t bring him here.”  
“He did,” a new voice said. Kevin Day stepped out onto the roof, a nonchalant expression on his face. Neil searched his eyes for any sign of recognition. He used potions regularly to keep his hair dull and his eyes dark, but a small part of him was terrified that Kevin would see right through his disguise.

Kevin oozed an air of disinterest, but his eyes were focused directly on Neil. Neil’s eyes drifted to the small number two tattoo placed right under his left eye.

The last time Neil saw him, Kevin’s face had been unmarked. Now, he bore the mark of the Moriyamas; specifically, Riko, the second son of a second son, whose madness was unrivaled.

“What are you doing here,” Neil asked hoarsely. His face felt numb. He supposed it could have something to do with the ice that still creeped along his body.

“Andrew,” Wymack snapped. The blonde looked unamused, but flicked his fingers in Neil’s direction and the ice dissipated.

“Why were you running?” Kevin returned.

Neil stayed silent. He couldn’t explain to Kevin why he needed to get away.

“I want you to sign,” Kevin pressed.

“I won’t practice with you,” Neil said.

“You will.”

Wymack shifted slightly, tattoos flaring. “We aren’t going to leave until you say yes.”

Neil took a breath. Let it out. Thought back to his mother. She would skin him alive if she saw him now. She would spill every last drop of his blood so he couldn’t practice magic again.

It’s a stupid idea.

It’s going to get him killed, not to mention the people around him.

But he can’t bring himself to say no again. His magic is pulsating wildly, sensing a change, an opportunity to present, to perform, to become stronger.

“Where do I sign?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well HERE WE ARE


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neil arrives in Palmetto.

Neil hated transport stations. There were too many people milling about, and his transport license was forged, eliciting an overwhelming sense of paranoia as soon as he stepped foot in the station.

Luckily, the wait for transport to the South Carolina territory was short, and Neil breathed a sigh of relief as he passed easily through the transport zone.

It was a hard feeling to describe; transporting to another location, especially one across territories, felt like he was soaring through time and space, seeing everything and nothing all at once, before being jolted back to reality in another dingy transport station.

Neil hiked his satchel farther up his shoulder and made his way to the Arrival terminal of the transport station. People swarmed around him; the station was buzzing faintly with the unwavering presence of magic. A witch bumped into him, flashing him a fierce glare before scurrying away towards the transport zones.

As Neil made his way through the terminal, he caught a flash of blonde hair. Andrew Minyard stood by the exit, unlit cigarette perched in his mouth. Neil warily came to a stop a few feet before him.

Hazel eyes met his own, before lazily glancing him over. “To baggage claim?”

Neil shifted uneasily. “No, just this.”

Andrew raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment, turning to head to the exit. Neil followed silently, thoughts stewing in his head.

He had heard a lot about Minyard in the past year. Evidently, he had extended an offer of protection to Kevin Day, and fiercely kept his promise to keep him out of harm’s way. His twin, Aaron, joined the Foxes with him and their cousin Nicky after Andrew dueled with a homophobic dickbag and won in seconds, leaving the man encased in a block of ice for hours.

Andrew’s intense loyalty to those he considered his own was admirable, but daunting. Neil didn’t doubt that Andrew would kill him without a second thought if he posed a threat to Kevin or anyone else under his protection.

And Neil knew that he was putting all of the Foxes in danger just with his mere presence in their lives. He hoped he could evade his father long enough to compete in the tournaments; in the spring, he would run.

Minyard stopped behind a sleek, expensive-looking black car. He paused to light his cigarette, before leveling a stare at Neil.  
“Put your bag in the trunk,” he said.

A wave of anxiety washed over Neil. All of his belongings were in his bag. His book of spells, a few potions, his clothes, and most importantly, his enchanted binder, which contained half a million cenz between its pages, a collage of photos of Kevin and Riko, and contact information for his uncle that was charmed to look like a list of rare herbs.

Neil brushed his fingers against an old blood stain at the opening of his satchel; his skin vibrated with magic for a brief second before settling. No one will be able to open his bag without triggering his security charm.

Andrew heaved an impatient sigh. “Any day now, Josten.”

Neil reluctantly placed his bag in the truck, jolting back when Andrew slammed the trunk closed, barely missing his fingers.

The blonde got into the car without another word; Neil climbed into the passenger seat before Andrew could take off without him. He knew he would have.

Time seemed to stretch on forever. Neil fixated his gaze on the landscape flashing past his eyes as Andrew sped down the road.

“You’re staying for the summer.” His blunt statement fractured the fragile silence of the car.

Neil tensed, casting a glance at Andrew. “Yeah,” he said.

Andrew tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. The AC in the car was blasting on high, chilling Neil to the bone. The frigid energy radiating from Andrew only contributed to the bitter cold of the air. “Hm,” he hummed.

Silence again.

“You didn’t seem very excited to meet Kevin Day. Most people would be ecstatic to get the chance to be in the same room as a celebrity sorcerer.” Andrew’s tone was mocking.

Neil knew he had to tread carefully. “I’m not good enough to train with him. I don’t know what he thought he saw in my records, but he’s only setting himself up for disappointment.”

Andrew hummed again. “Maybe,” he murmured. “But if you didn’t think you were good enough, why did you sign?”

Neil was silent. He had been asking himself the same question ever since he sliced his hand and signed his name in blood on the contract, binding himself to Wymack, to the Academy, to Kevin Day.

Andrew hummed again. “I’ll get the truth out of you one way or another, rabbit.”

They didn’t speak another word to each other for the rest of the ride.

It was close to an hour later when they pulled up to a humble stone cottage. Neil could see the towers of Palmetto Academy piercing the sky in the distance.

A tan, dark haired man scurried from the front steps of the house to the car, already talking excitedly to Neil, even though he couldn’t hear him through the car door.

“-must be Neil, welcome to Palmetto, how was your transport? I’ve never had a problem with transporting but sometimes you hear those horror stories where someone’s torso ends up in one place and their legs in another!” Nicky’s voice filtered in as Neil pushed the door open.

“The transport was fine,” he said, moving towards the trunk to retrieve his satchel.

Once his bag was settled on his shoulder, he turned to face Nicky. Behind him, he saw a carbon copy of Andrew. At first glance, Aaron looked exactly identical to his brother, but Neil noticed the lack of arm bands on Aaron’s forearms, the slightly different hair style, and an aura that was the complete opposite of Andrew’s frozen one. Aaron must have a specialization in fire magic, Neil mused. Interesting how identical twins could have polar opposite magical abilities.

His attention snapped back to the man in front of him when he held out his hand.

“I’m Nicky!” he said cheerfully as Neil carefully shook his hand. Nicky gave his hand a playful squeeze before letting go. “I’m Andrew and Aaron’s cousin.” He leaned in a little closer. “Between you and me, I’m the sane one in the family,” he whispered with a wink.

Neil looked between Nicky and the twins. Where Nicky was naturally tan, with dark, curly hair and dark brown eyes, the twins were almost blindingly pale, with straight blonde hair and light eyes. There was no familial resemblance at all.

Nicky laughed. “I know, we look absolutely nothing alike! I take after my mother. She’s from a coven in Mexico! Anyways, let’s grab the rest of your stuff and head inside!”

Neil held up his bag. “It’s just this.”

The other man failed to suppress a look of surprise. “Okay, no problem!”

He began to lead Neil into the house. Both Aaron and Andrew had already disappeared inside.

When Neil crossed the threshold, he felt the faint pulse of a protection charm. The cottage was small, but cozy. He stepped into the hallway, which opened up to a large, bright kitchen and a living room complete with a television set and a couch. Beyond the kitchen was a narrow hall, presumably where the bedrooms were. A steep set of stairs were settled at the end of the hallway, leading up into the darkness of the second floor.

A tall woman was standing in the kitchen, lazily stirring the contents of a cauldron. She brightened when she saw the people entering her house.

“Hi there!” she said happily. “You must be Neil! I’m Abby. David’s my fiancé.”

Wymack stepped into the room at the sound of his name. He gave Neil a curt nod. “Glad you came,” he said gruffly. “I’ll show you to your room.”

Neil tried to hide his discomfort as he followed the larger man up the stairs. He could hear Nicky’s bright laughter and Abby’s voice echoing through the small house. It had been years since he shared a roof with someone other than his mother. He didn’t know Wymack, much less the twins or Nicky. He doubted he would be able to sleep here.

Wymack led him past two open doorways; the faint smell of cigarette smoke seeped out of one of the rooms. Neil could guess whose room that was.

“Andrew!” Wymack snapped. Neil couldn’t help but flinch. Luckily, Wymack’s attention was directed solely on the black-clad blonde smoking in his room. “How many times do I have to tell you to take that shit outside?”

Andrew’s gaze was focused on Neil. A small smirk grew on his otherwise expressionless face. He had seen Neil’s reaction to Wymack’s voice. He seemed as if he was looking right through Neil.

He felt as if he was able to see all of his scars, all of his secrets, splayed out on his face as if he hadn’t spent the last eight years sealing them up in a place where even he couldn’t reach them.

Neil was in trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wish i could update this every day but after today it will be more sporadic. yay school!  
lots of inspiration drawn from sabrina, some dialogue taken from the book.  
andrew will be vaguely ooc because he never went on his meds  
aLL mistakes are mine


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neil goes to the courtyard with Andrew and the others to practice with Kevin.

When Wymack led him into his room, Neil surveyed the area. It was clean and sparse; the walls were a muted beige and the carpet looked soft. There was a bed pushed up against the far wall and a large window that looked out into the city. He could see the bright orange of the Foxes’ courtyard tower in the distance. Neil placed his bag on the bed and glanced around. There was a single dresser in the room, hardly secure. Wymack seemed to sense his unease.

“The door locks,” he said casually, pulling a scuffed key out of his pocket. “This is the only key for this room.”

Neil stared at the key for a moment.

A key symbolizes many things. Permanence, safety, possession. Neil carefully took the key from the sorcerer and held it gently in his hand. He didn’t like the way it made him feel. Like he had a place here that might be his own. He knew he wouldn’t be here long; he’d be lucky if he made it through the year alive. Regardless, the key gave him a vague sense of hope.

Wymack clapped him on the shoulder, startling him.

“Take the next few days to get familiar with the campus,” he said. “Practice starts on Monday.”

“Neil!” a voice called out from the hallway, sounding amused. “Come out to play!”

Neil grimaced at the sound of Andrew’s voice. Wymack gave him a sympathetic look as he headed out of the room. “They probably want to take you to the courtyard. Maybe test you a bit.”

Neil groaned internally. The last thing he needed was Minyard provoking him, trying to get a look at his magic. Regardless, he knew he didn’t have much of a choice.

He looked forlornly at the bed, before pulling a few stones out of his bag. Black onyx, pyrite, tourmalinated quartz.

Andrew’s group could try to break through his shields, but he had a few tricks up his sleeve. He slid the stones into the small pockets on the sheaths on his arms.

He was ready.

Neil left his room and locked the door behind him. As much as he appreciated the key, he couldn’t help but still feel paranoid that someone could pick the lock. Pricking his finger on the knife in his sleeve, he gently dripped a drop of blood on the handle of the door. His magic flared warmly, seeping into his blood to form a protection spell.

He turned and headed down the hallway. As he came down the stairs, he saw Andrew and the others standing by the door. Andrew was smiling menacingly. His twin was standing next to him, looking bored. They were dressed almost identically, in shades of black, but Andrew had intricate-looking armbands covering his forearms. The pale blue outline of Andrew’s aura clashed horribly with the deep burgundy of Aaron’s. The two auras seemed to be battling, creating a dark purple haze between them. It looked exhausting.

Kevin stood at the threshold of the house, looking impatient. “Let’s go,” he snapped, striding outside.

Neil had spent years honing his ability to detect auras with his mother; the colors shifting around a person reflected not just their magical abilities, but their spiritual energy itself.

His father’s aura was black; deep, dark, and sucking the light out of everything around him.

His mother’s was yellow, anxious, constantly on edge, mimicking her proficiency with electricity.

Kevin’s aura was different altogether. It seemed fractured, just like his hand. It was a bright, bright orange, almost the color of the Foxes’ courtyard walls.

Neil wasn’t quite sure what his aura meant, but it seemed unstable; it contrasted the sharp focus that was constantly present in Kevin’s eyes.

He wondered if maybe Kevin wasn’t as put together as he seemed.

“Let’s go, rabbit,” Andrew said mockingly.

Neil followed the three of them out to the car, where Nicky was waiting, looking nervous.

Andrew climbed into the driver’s seat; with a flick of his hand, he motioned Kevin to the passenger seat.

That left Neil with Aaron and Nicky in the backseat. Aaron had already slid in, looking like he would rather be anywhere else.

“After you!” Nicky said cheerfully. His smiling face did nothing to mask the strain around his eyes.

Neil cautiously got into the car, sitting uncomfortably in the middle as Nicky climbed in after him. Despite his attempt to distance himself from the sorcerers on either side of him, Neil’s arms were pressed against both of them. He could feel his own aura clashing terribly with Aaron’s; Nicky’s was less aggressive, a soft green that seemed to cling softly to his own blood-red aura.

Neil was not comfortable.

Andrew’s eyes met his in the rearview mirror; despite his earlier mocking tone, his eyes were dead serious.

The car pulled away in silence.  
Neil prayed to whatever deity may be listening that the courtyard wasn’t too far away.

Nicky tried to start a conversation with him; he asked him about where he was from, if he had any siblings, if he had a girlfriend. After Neil’s terse, one worded replies, he seemed to take the hint and settled back into awkward silence.

Thankfully, only a few minutes later (it felt like it had been hours), they pulled into the parking lot beside the courtyard’s building.  
The walls were even more blindingly orange up close. Neil fought the urge to shield his eyes.

“All the orange grows on you,” Nicky said.

Neil doubted that.

He climbed out of the car after Nicky, and followed him into the courtyard. They walked through an equally orange corridor, and passed a few other rooms before they entered the main courtyard. Kevin was already way ahead of them, standing in the middle of the pentagram in the center of the floor. There were several more shapes drawn into the floor. Neil recognized the runes for water, fire, ice, and electricity.

He gazed around. The inside of the courtyard was thankfully less orange; the walls were white, and wooden stands lined the outer circle of the area. A thin layer of magic-resistant glass separated the courtyard from the stands.

“Lights,” Aaron called. Neil watched as the tip of the wand in the blonde’s hand glowed fiercely.

The light fixtures handing from the tall ceiling lit, one by one, and a warm glow settled across the room.

Kevin turned to face Neil. A wand was gripped awkwardly in his right hand.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

Neil was not ready.

He nodded anyway.

“Where’s your wand?” Kevin demanded.

“I don’t have one,” Neil said.

Andrew cackled in the background.

Kevin narrowed his eyes at Neil.

Then, he fired his first spell, lightning quick.

Neil didn’t have time to react; luckily, the pyrite tucked away in his sheath pulsed furiously, redirecting Kevin’s spell back at him.

Kevin deflected easily. He looked mildly less unimpressed. “Pyrite. A good choice for protecting yourself,” he stated, before casting again.

This time, none of his stones reacted, and Kevin’s magic stung sharply across his cheekbone as it soared by. He could feel blood begin to trickle down his face.

Blood magic was something only spoken about in the oldest of spellbooks; stories about ancient blood sorcerers who could destroy the world with just a drop of blood smeared across their fingertips. Neil knew no one had a reason to guess that he was one of them, with magic coursing through his veins rather than through an element around him.

Still, he knew he had to be careful.

If he learned anything from his mother, it was that he couldn’t risk being caught. He would be taken without a question, and bled dry.

Neil wiped the blood off his face with his hand. His fingers were already beginning to tingle, his magic dancing across his fingertips, begging to be released.

“At least try to defend yourself,” Kevin scoffed as he cast another hex his way.

Neil threw his hand up and deflected the hex, sending it crashing into the ground beside him. The floor sizzled where it had hit.

Nicky gave a surprised laugh from the sideline. “What did you say your specialty was again, Neil?”

“I didn’t,” Neil responded mildly as he cast away another one of Kevin’s hexes.

“Offensive,” Kevin shouted at him.

Neil felt the remnants of blood drying on his face and called his magic from there. He threw a stinging hex at Kevin, who redirected it easily back at him. Neil’s aura absorbed the hex before it could reach him, recognizing the magic as his own.

Neil and Kevin battled back and forth for what seemed like forever. By the time Kevin declared the match over, Neil had several scratches on his face and exposed hands. However, he couldn’t help but feel satisfied when he saw that Kevin didn’t make it out of the fight unscathed either. His cheek was bright red from another stinging hex, and his sleeve was torn.

“You need practice,” Kevin said. “I don’t want to see you holding back. You need to give me your trust.” He stared at Neil for a moment before exiting the room.

Neil sighed and berated himself for not throwing himself off the roof as soon as Wymack showed up in Millport. He could have been in Canada by now.

“I can see what Kevin saw in you,” Nicky said as Neil retreated from the demolished courtyard.

Neil grimaced as Nicky fell in line beside him.

The twins had disappeared about halfway through their practice session.

Andrew reappeared in the hallway, exiting one of the rooms adjacent to the courtyard. He clapped slowly at Neil. “What a show,” he said sarcastically. “I can’t wait to get to know you better, rabbit. I’d love to know how you learned wandless magic.”

Nicky looked vaguely alarmed and started to protest, but stopped as soon as Andrew cast a look his way.

“I moved around a lot,” Neil said simply. “You pick up a lot of things.”

Andrew’s eyes narrowed at him. “Sure,” he said. “You can tell me more in Columbia tomorrow night.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oof.  
as always, characters and some dialogue belong to nora.  
columbia is next!! beware  
eventually these chapters will get longer probably


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Off to Colombia!

Neil had a feeling that going to Columbia with Andrew was a bad idea. Nicky only laughed uncomfortably when Neil asked him about it. But he assured Neil that Kevin, Aaron, and he would be joining them as well.

“It’s kind of a tradition,” he said. “We drive to Columbia and have dinner at a place called Sweetie’s. Then we go to Eden’s Twilight to drink and dance.”

Neil could not imagine Andrew dancing.

Nicky seemed to pick up on his incredulity and huffed a laugh. “Well, I dance, Aaron and Kevin drink, and Andrew sits in the dark until he gets bored, or until Kevin throws up. Mostly it’s when Kevin throws up.”  
Neil wasn’t entirely surprised to learn that Kevin was a heavy drinker. Anyone who grew up at Evermore, one of the most notorious magic academies, was bound to have issues.

The day passed all too quickly, and before he knew it, it was time to go. Neil started to head out of his room when he bumped into Nicky, who was carrying a small black bag.

“Whoa!” Nicky laughed. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Neil looked at him blankly.

Nicky laughed again, a little more uncomfortably. “You can’t go out in that.”  
Neil looked down at himself. Standard black pants, gray shirt, and black robe. His robe was a little tattered, but at least the black material hid the bloodstains on the sleeves. Regulation boots.

“Why not?” he asked.

Nicky thrust the bag out in front of him. “Because this is a _night club_, Neil! No robes!”

Neil slowly took the bag from him, and Nicky turned to leave. “Put those on and meet us downstairs in five!”

He was gone before Neil could say another word.

Neil closed the door to his room and looked cautiously into the bag. You could never be too careful, especially with Andrew. He wouldn’t be surprised if he had hexed the bag to bite his fingers or set his hair on fire.

Luckily, the bag seemed to be relatively normal. He pulled out a pair of black skinny jeans, a shimmery black top, and black heeled combat boots.

He disliked the outfit on sight. The pants looked too tight and wouldn’t allow for a quick getaway. The shirt was long-sleeved, shiny and sheer. When he pulled it on, the material felt nice on his skin. It seemed to mask his scars well enough. No one would notice unless they were looking closely. There was no room in his sleeves for his knife, and the jeans didn’t have pockets for his stones.

Andrew wanted him to be virtually helpless. No protection.

At least the boots were steel-toed, Neil mused. He could do some damage with a well-placed kick, and the heels were thick enough to keep him from losing his balance.

Surprisingly, everything fit him perfectly, from the shirt to the boots.

Neil wondered if he should be suspicious that Andrew had looked at him closely enough to correctly guess his size.

Before he had time to ponder that idea, Nicky shouted his name up the stairs.

Neil sighed and carefully tucked his knife into his boot. Hopefully Andrew wouldn’t notice.

When he got downstairs, Nicky and Kevin were the only ones waiting. Kevin looked bored.

“Let’s go,” he complained. “I need a drink.”

* * *

The drive to Colombia was interesting, to say the least. Neil was shoved between Aaron and Nicky in the backseat. Aaron alternated between glaring at him and glaring out the window. Nicky kept up a fairly steady stream of chatter, asking Neil questions intermittently and not seeming deterred when he received a one word or no response. Kevin was dozing in the front seat, and Andrew was glacial in the driver’s seat. Literally. The chill emitting from his body kept the car almost unbearably cold, despite the A/C being turned off.

There was no music. Only Nicky’s voice filled the car.

Eventually, Aaron got annoyed. His aura flared sharply, turning the air a sickening shade of brownish red for a moment. “Shut the fuck up, Nicky,” he snapped.

Nicky recoiled and Neil watched as his face seemed to shutter. His aura dimmed, along with his smile.

Neil didn’t like it.

“What’s your specialty?” he asked quietly. He knew from the pale green glow surrounding Nicky that he specialized in earth magic, but he didn’t want to risk exposing his advanced sixth sense. His mother always stressed the importance of keeping it a secret, a way to read people and detect danger.

Nicky seemed to brighten a little. “The earth!” he exclaimed, brandishing his arm at Neil. Around his tan wrist was what at first glance looked like a piece of jewelry shaped like an olive branch. Neil watched as the branch flowered, producing small Gerbera daisies.

He looked back up at Nicky, who was watching the flowers bloom with a small smile on his face. “It suits you,” he said, just loudly enough for him to hear.

Nicky turned his tremulous smile onto Neil. “Thank you,” he said softly.

They spent the rest of the ride in silence. 

When they finally pulled into a parking lot, Neil was tense from spending two hours in such close proximity to the others. They were an exhausting group of people, with animosity running at a constant high.

They all piled out of the car and followed Andrew into the brightly lit restaurant. It was packed with people and there were only a few tables left open, but Andrew led them straight to an empty table and plopped himself down. He stared challengingly Neil until he took the seat opposite him.

Dinner was awkward.

Conversation was still stilted, with Nicky attempting to fill the gaping silences with small talk.

Kevin ignored all of them in favor of scarfing down his burger. Neil barely picked at his food.

Andrew ordered a hideously disgusting ice cream sundae, topped with a sickening amount of chocolate.

“Magic can’t protect you from diabetes, you know,” Neil said.

Nicky choked on a French fry. Aaron snorted despite himself.

Andrew leveled a look at Neil and shoved another spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.

When they were all finished, Andrew placed a pile of cenz on the table and stood.

“Let’s go,” he said in a monotone, leaving the restaurant without looking at them. Neil scrambled after the rest of them.

It was a short drive from Sweetie’s to the night club. Eden’s Twilight stood starkly against the dark skyline, colorful lights flashing out of every window.

There was a short line of people waiting to get in. Neil could tell this was a night club strictly for magic users; the air seemed to crackle with the amount of magic in the vicinity.

Neil couldn’t wait to get this stupid night over with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oof. sorry for the eND i thought i would get through the nightclub scene but alas  
i am but a lowly college student  
please comment/kudos, all mistakes are my own, don't hesitate to point out any errors  
ALSO yes columbia is happening much sooner than in the book! i don't think unmedicated andrew would wait more than a day or two to determine if neil is a threat, thus, columbia.

**Author's Note:**

> WELL. Here we go.  
My original content is my own, but all the characters and major story arcs belong to Nora.


End file.
